Tray for eggs and other fragile articles



Dec. 4, 1934.

G. W. SWIFT, JR

TRAY FOR EGGS AND OTHER FRAGILE ARTICLES Filed Dec. 14, 1933 l X l @E lll-lg@ null-lu lull-nin( gu-Ilm 2 Sheets-,Sheet 1 G. w. swlF-r, JR 1,983,325

Dec. 4, 1934.

TRAY vFOR EGGS AND OTHER FRAGILE ARTICLES Filed Dec. 14, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 null-n @In n gf INVENTOR Patented Dec. 4, 1934 UNITED STATES TRAY FOR EGGS AND OTHER FRAGILE ARTICLES George W. Swift, Jr., Bordentown, N. J., assignor to George W. Swift, Jr., Inc., Bordentown, N. J acorporation of New Jersey Application December 14, 1933, Serial No. 702,316

4 Claims.

'I'he present invention relates to molded pulp articles and more especially to egg trays such, for example, as those shown in Figures 1 and 7 of the drawings in my copending application for Egg carton, Serial No 655,687, which was filed in the U. S. Patent Oilce on February 8, 1933. Egg trays of this type are rapidly and conveniently constructed from paper pulp by means of pulpmolding machines such as that shown in my copending application Serial No. 658,517, which was led on February 25, 1933. By means of this machine, egg trays of this character can be made as structurally self-competent units and conveniently employed for the packing, shipping, storage, and distribution of eggs in the wholesale or retail trade. As shown on the drawings, my invention preferably contemplates an integral web of molded pulp formed with pockets of suiilcient depth to completely receive the eggs, said pockets being widened upwardly and open at the top where they are widest. With a View to rendering these structurally self-competent egg tray units substantially rigid and sufficiently strong to be employed for the several purposes mentioned, contiguous wall portions of dierent pockets may be substantially rigidly united together by downwardly arched connecting walls which outwardly reenforce and stien the structure as a unit while at the same time affording open ventilation interiorly by upwardly enlarged Ventilating channels which connect up the pockets in wide open communication with each other. At the same time, this construction provides sucient draft for the facile removal of the pulp articles from their molds and facilitates the nesting of said articles one within another.

One object of my invention is to improve the nesting qualities of molded pulp articles of the character referred to whereby they can be nested one within another in much closer formation than has heretofore been possible and thus made to occupy less space. In consequence, a great many more of the nested egg trays can be shipped in a given space than has heretofore been possible.

ln respect to its adaptation as a filler for egg cases and the arrangement of egg trays within said egg cases, my invention contemplates another object which is to provide increased ventilation through successivetiers of superimposed egg trays and an improved circulation of air within said egg trays.

@ther and more specific objects of invention will be understood from the following description of particular details of construction recited in the appended claims, reference being had to the drawings which show a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings;

vFigure 1 is a top plan view of an egg tray embodying my improved construction for molded pulp articles;

Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2, of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of an egg tray of similar construction to that shown in Figure 1 but with a modified arrangement of certain parts to be hereinafter more specifically referred to;

Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line,4-4, of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a vertical section through a nested group of egg trays, two of which are constructed according to Figures 1 and 2 and the other two of which are constructed as shown in Figures 3 and 4.

In referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be understood that in confining the following description to the specific form and arrangement of parts shown on the drawings, said drawings are intended to show a preferred embodiment of a general principle of construction which may be applied in variously modified forms and arrangements of parts under a broad interpretation of the language employedin the appended claims. f

Figures 1 and 2 show in plan and cross section one form of my improved egg tray which is constructed to nest with a complementary form of my egg tray shown in plan and cross section in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings with a great saving of space over egg trays of similar form not constructed according to my invention. As shown in Figure 5 of the drawings, these complementary forms of the egg tray may be arranged in alternation one above another and nested together for shipment in a much smaller space than that occupied by the same number of egg trays of similar construction that are not constructed according to my invention. The form of my improved egg tray shown in Figures l and 2 of the drawings, is constructed from an integral web of material to form a structurally self-competent unit and comprises a group of substantially ovate bottom wall portions 1, upwardly and outwardly inclined side wall portions 2, upwardly tapered hollow columns 3 centrally arranged with respect to groups of said ovate bottom wall portions 1, truncated upwardly-contracted tubular walls 4 arranged alternately to and in series with the tapered hollow columns 3, said truncated upwardly-contracted tubular walls being provided at their upper ends with openings 4b centrally arranged with groups of said ovate bottom wall portions, and downwardlyarched connecting walls 5 which rigidly unite adjacent pockets of the egg tray and stiifen the structure exteriorly. Interiorly, as shown best in Figure 2 of the drawings, said downwardlyarched walls 5 form upwardly-widened galleries or channels which intersect the pockets in two different directions and provide wide open ventilation across and around the upper halves of eggs placed in said pockets. As shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the closed upper ends 7 of the tapered hollow columns 3 provide insular platforms arranged in a common plane with a top flange 6 which extends around the perimeter of the egg tray and into which the outwardly inclined side wall portions 2 merge at the top. Said insular platforms 7 and top flange 6 are constructed and arranged to support a superposed filler flat or cushion flat when my improved egg trays are used to make up the iller of an egg case such for example, as that shown and described in U. S.

Patent No. 1,857,984 kwhich was granted in my name on May 10, 1932.

As shown in said patent, a fiat board (10) or filler fiat rests upon the insular platforms (1) and side anges of the egg tray to form a partition between successive tiers of eggs. As shown in U. S.

Patent No. 1,830,491 which was granted in my name on November 3, 1931, the filler ats and `cushion flats are provided with Ventilating openings for the passage of air between successive tiers of eggs and into the bottom tier and out of the top tier of eggs. In an assembly of this nature, it will be understood that the top openings 4b in the upwardly contracted tubular walls 4 will provide a free circulation between the spaces above and below the pocket-forming web of each tray and in conjunction with the Ventilating openings through the filler and cushion flats will provide an improved circulation throughout the ller of an egg case. In making holes in the iiat board 10 of my above identified U. S. Patent No. 1,857,984, said holes may be arranged at any desired points except immediately under the contracted lower ends of the pockets of the egg tray supported by said flat. Referring now to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, a complementary form of my improved egg tray of substantially similar construction to that shown in Figures l and 2 vof the drawings, comprises substantially ovate bottom wall portions la, upwardly and outwardly inclined side wall portions 2a merged at the top into a perimetral top flange 6a, upwardly tapered hollow columns 3a which provide insular platforms 7a arranged in a common plane with the perimetral flange 6a, truncated upwardly-contracted tubular walls 4a open at the top, and downwardly-arched connecting walls 5a. By a comparison of Figures 1 and 3 of the drawings, it will be understood that in respect to their arrangement, each upwardly-tapered hollow column 3 (or 3a) of one egg tray is located to correspond to an upwardly-contracted tubular wall 4 (or 4a) of the other egg tray. Referring now to Figure 5 of the drawings, it will be seen that in nesting my improved egg trays in proper order, the upwardly tapered columns of each egg tray are arranged to be presented upwardly through the top openings of the respective upwardly contracted tubular walls of the egg tray above it. In virtue of this construction and arrangement, the laterally abutting portions of the nested egg trays occur along walls of relatively larger curvature and hence permit the nested trays to be moved into closer formation due to the relatively greater yield and accommodation of the material therein.

I claim:-

1. An egg tray comprising a plurality of pockets smallest at the bottom and widened lupwardly from bottom to top, said egg tray being provided with upwardly contracted hollow-columns of uniform cross-sectional form and with a uniform taper in the lateral walls thereof, Asaid hollow columns being respectively centrally arranged with respect to different groups of said pockets, some of said hollow columns terminating in a common plane including the top `edges -of said pockets and others\of said hollow columns being provided with top openings arranged in a common plane intermediate between the first-mentioned common plane and the bottom walls of said pockets, said top openings in the last-mentioned hollow columns being defined by the inner perimetral walls of said last-mentioned hollow walls at the top.

2. A tray for fragile' articles, said tray being constructed of an integral web of material forming a plurality of pockets provided with upwardly and outwardly flared lateral walls, said pockets being arranged in groups around vertical axes centrally disposed with respect to said groups respectively, portions of the lateral lwalls of the respective groups of said pockets being arranged to form upwardly contracted hollow columns which are uniformly tapered with respect to said vertical axes respectively, the hollow columns contiguous to each pocket being constructed some of one height and some of another height,

the hollow columns of lesser height being open at the top in a common plane, the inner walls of the shorter tapered columns being provided with the same uniform taper as the outer walls of the longer tapered columns. 3. A tray for fragile articles, said tray bein constructed of an integral web of material forming a plurality of pockets provided with upwardly and outwardly iiared lateral walls, said pockets being arranged in groups about vertical axes respectively centrally disposed with respect to said pocket groups, portions of the lateral walls of some groups of said pockets being arranged to form upwardly contracted hollow columns all of which are uniformly tapered with respect to the vertical axes respectively central to said groups, some of said hollow columns being constructed of less height than the others and open at the top across their entire cross-sectional area'V to permit the correspondingly positioned columns of groups of said pockets. each of said hollow columns having its lateral walls composed of portions of the lateral walls of the group of pockets with respect to which it is centrally disposed, some of said hollow columns being truncated and provided with top openings across the entire cross-section thereof to permit the correspondingly disposed untruncated hollow columns of another tray to protrude therethrough.

GEORGE W. SWIPI, JR.

iis 

